The Secrets of God - Part Two

The more we know about God, the more we can see how ignorant we really are. I am in desperate need of His wisdom - His secrets that are reserved for those who love Him and walk in the fear of God.

His delight is to reveal secrets – our delight is to find it

1 Cor. 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.


Romans 11:33-36  (Message Bible)
Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out. 

Is there anyone around who can explain God?

Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do?

Anyone who has done him such a huge favor

that God has to ask his advice?    

Everything comes from him;

Everything happens through him;

Everything ends up in him.

Always glory! Always praise!

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Oswald Chambers says:

"What is the sign of a friend? Is it that he tells you his secret sorrows? No, it is that he tells you his secret joys. Many people will confide their secret sorrows to you, but the final mark of intimacy is when they share their secret joys with you."

It is because of God's great love for us, and His desire for intimacy with His sons and daughters, that He draws us in to deeper knowledge of His secrets. He is waiting to commune with each of us today - to share His secret thoughts and impart to us more of His heart.

We often want to know things with our minds first, but so many of the secret things of God must be known  with the spirit first - then the mind may catch up later. In other words, you might know a secret, but not even know what you know!

Human things are known before they are loved

Divine things must be loved before they are known

Secrets of God - Part One: HERE
Secrets of God - Part Three: HERE

The Secrets of God - Part One

When we have a secret, it is usually for the purpose of excluding certain people from information. The Lord, however, has secrets for the purpose of drawing us closer. He wants to share his secrets with us.


There are three kinds of people who are candidates to receive the secrets of the Lord:


1. Those Who Fear the Lord - Ps. 25:14   The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.   (Also Job 29:4)

- The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. (NIV)

The fear of the Lord is not being afraid of God, but to know Him intimately, to love Him

completely and to obey Him unconditionally. Those who fear the Lord are those who love

and worship HIm.

Here is this verse in the Amplified Bible:

The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear

[revere and worship] Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its

[deep, inner] meaning.

The secrets of the Lord lead us to sweet intimacy with Him.

2. The Righteous - Prov. 3:32 For the forward [wicked] is abomination to the Lord: but

his secret is with the [uncompromisingly righteous.

...the Lord hates people who do evil, but he takes righteous people into his confidence

(Good News Translation)

3. His Prophets - 

Dan. 2:19 Then was the secret revealed to Daniel in a night vision

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants 

the prophets

So, we can say that those who hear the secrets of God are:

His righteous, prophetic worshipers.

Secrets of God - Part Two: HERE

I Love This Time Of Year

Psalm 96:6

Honor and majesty are before Him; 

Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Help In Times Of Trouble

This has always been a favorite psalm. - just what we need for today:

Psalm 121

 ¹ I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
         From whence comes my help?
 ² My help comes from the LORD,
         Who made heaven and earth.
      
 ³ He will not allow your foot to be moved;
         He who keeps you will not slumber.
 ⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel
         Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
      
 ⁵ The LORD is your keeper;
         The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
 ⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
         Nor the moon by night.
      
 ⁷ The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
         He shall preserve your soul.
 ⁸ The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
         From this time forth, and even forevermore.

7 Layers of Help from Psalm 121

Ps. 121:1-2       He helps us

Ps. 121:3          He steadies us

Ps. 121:4          He watches us

Ps. 121:5-6       He keeps us

Ps. 121:5          He shades us

Ps. 121:7          He preserves us

Ps. 121:8          He protects us

The Point of Life

Rugby World Champions!!

New Zealand Win 2011 Rugby World Cup

Beating France 8 - 7

Penguin Sweaters

I don't know if you all know this, but New Zealand has suffered a terrible oil spill from a foreign container ship "Rena." A huge portion of Eastern coastline has been affected by the oil (right where some of my family live - my sister has volunteered for clean-up duties along the beautiful Papamoa beach).

The worst part is how the wildlife is being affected.

Here is a report from the New Zealand Herald on the tragedy of the penguins:

Authorities assisting with wildlife recovery are being inundated with oiled little blue penguins.

While around 120 penguins have been rescued so far, the number of breeding pairs in the region are around 200 to 300 and the spill couldn't have come at a worse time.

It is the middle of breeding season for the nocturnal birds who are being covered in the thick tar-like oil while crossing rocks to return to their burrows.

Rebecca Bird, one of 140 field staff working as part of Maritime New Zealand's oiled wildlife recovery efforts, says it is heartbreaking to see that by rescuing an oiled bird it often means their offspring won't survive.

"We checked on the pair of little blue penguins in the 'window nest' a couple of nights ago, and the mate was oiled so we had to take him away to the recovery centre to be looked after. Then the next night we found the other penguin was oiled and had to take her away. We hope that the birds we recover will be  rehabilitated successfully, but it's heartbreaking to know that saving them means their clutch won't be reared.

In an effort to save the clutch, the team placed the eggs with another pair of penguins, but sadly the adoptive pair rejected the eggs.

Local conservation volunteer Dave Richards said some of the penguins who had lost their mate were also abandoning their nests: "They stay on their nests until they figure out their mate isn't coming back and eventually they'll go and feed."

"I never thought - it's a relatively small amount of oil - and it's already had such a devastating impact on the penguins." says Dave. "It's just heartbreaking."

Anyway, our Meghann sent us this report on those who are scrambling to save the penguins, and how people are knitting little sweaters for them:

In their oil-soaked state, the birds shouldn’t preen themselves because their feathers are contaminated. They also need help staying warm before and after rescue workers do what they can to clean them up.

So Skeinz, a knitting shop in Napier, New Zealand, put out a call for knitters to make little sweaters for penguins in need. And boy, have knitters around the world responded. One blog post from the folks at Skeinz.com ran under the headline “It’s raining jumpers.”  Another ran with the headline “We have Critical Mass” — but Skeinz is still encouraging determined knitters to send their handiwork along to “keep stocks available for the Wildlife Rescue Team to draw from if required.”

http://animaltracks.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/20/8411051-a-good-yarn-knitters-make-sweaters-for-penguins-after-oil-spill

Don't laugh at these wee guys, but here are some penguins from previous oil spills in South Africa and Australia all decked out in their protective sweaters:

Too cute for words!

The Heavens Declare Your Wonders

Psalm 8:4-6 (Message)

I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,

your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings.

Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,

Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way? 

Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods,
bright with Eden's dawn light. 

You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, 

repeated to us your Genesis-charge, 

Made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild,

Birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deeps.

Ps. 19:1 (NLT)

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 

Ps. 144:3
LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You are mindful if him?    

What Is Success?

“What is Success”
by Ralph Waldo Emerson (?)

To laugh often and love much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the approval of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one’s self;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived…
This is to have succeeded.

Who Needs Pockets?

Cute little girl!

Seeking the Lord

Seek the Lord while He may be found,

call upon Him while He is near.

Isa. 55:6

Look at the these results that come in our lives as we seek the Lord:

1. Joy

1Chr. 16:10...let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! (Ps. 105:3)

Ps. 40:16   Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You...

(Ps. 70:4)

2. He will be found

1Chr. 28:9  ...if you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off for ever. (2Chr. 15:2; Ps. 9:10)

2Chr. 15:4   But when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.

3. God will hear, forgive and heal our land

2Chr. 7:14 If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

4. The Lord gives us peace from our enemies

2Chr. 14:7   ...we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side. (Ezra 8:22)

5. Prosperity

2Chr. 26:5...and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.  (2Chr. 31:21)

Ps. 34:10   The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

6. The Lord looks for those who seek Him

Ps. 14:2   The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. (Ps. 53:2)

7. Deliverance from all fears

Ps. 34:4   I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

8. Life

Ps. 69:32   ...you who seek God, your hearts shall live. (Ps. 22:26)

Amos 5:4   For thus says the Lord..."Seek me, and live..."

9. We are blessed

Ps. 119:2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart.

10. Understanding

Prov. 28:5   ...those who seek the Lord understand all.

11. The fear of the Lord

Hosea 3:5   Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.

12. We find a hiding place

Zeph. 2:3   Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld his justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger.

13. Everything we need will be provided

Matt. 6:33   But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. (Luke 12:31)

Matt. 7:7–8   Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Luke 11:9)

14. Healing

Luke 6:19  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him: for power went out from Him, and healed them all.

15. He rewards those who seek Him

Hebr. 11:6   ...He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

More on Seeking God: HERE

I Love This Dog

Check out this dog - he's adorable:

Heidi Baker

We are in Norway at a national women's conference. The key speaker is Heidi Baker - a missionary among the poor in Mozambique. Here is her website for Iris ministries:

http://www.irismin.org/

I encourage you to check out her work. It must be impossible not to be impressed by Heidi's delightful personality and authentic heart of worship before the Lord.

This Kind Of Day

I feel a little like this today:

...or this, perhaps:

Hmmmm...maybe this one:

...things can only get better (the optimist is speaking) - some days are just like this - reach out and find that the Lord is nearer and any difficulty or danger!

From Faith To Love

2 Pet. 1:1–7 

¹ Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 

² Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God

and of Jesus our Lord,

³ as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises,

that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature,

having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

⁵ But also for this very reason, giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,

⁶ to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance,

to perseverance godliness,

⁷ to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 

These verses chart our seven step journey from faith to love—through His:

power (His divine power)

promises (exceedingly great and precious promises)

participation (partake) in His divine nature:

• Add to your faith—virtue (moral excellence, goodness, Christian energy)

• Add to virtue—knowledge (intelligence)

• Add to knowledge—self-control (discipline)

• Add to self-control—perseverance (patience, endurance)

• Add to perseverance—godliness (piety)

• Add to godliness—brotherly kindness

• Add to brotherly kindness—love

One Winner of 2010 National Geographic Photography Contest

Grace and Faith

Grace is God reaching down


Faith is man reaching up!

Jonah

I wonder if this guy feels like Jonah - he is stuck inside the mouth of a whale:

I'm not sure of the outcome, but you can make up your own story.

Wonderful Meetings

We have been in some wonderful meetings at a prayer retreat in Norway. Any time we can worship is wonderful...but there was something special this weekend. I have to say that playing with the New Wine worship team (Per Kjetil and Ivar) had a lot to do with it. When talented musicians yield to the Holy Spirit, amazing things can happen.

We stayed in the presence of the Lord for the better part of two and a half hours. In that time there was prophecy (in word, song and on the instruments), dance, personal ministry, Bible readings, Norwegian folk songs, harp solo, exhortations...just about everything you can imagine. God took us on a flowing journey into His grace.

At the end of the meeting we noticed a thin layer of gold dust all over the floor and on tables - evidence of the King's presence for sure, but how we longed for this glory to be in our hearts. It has been a long time since I have seen the gold dust on hands etc. It is not that we would look for this, it is simply delightful to have spent such a deep time with the Lord and then to see evidence that He enjoyed it as well.

Meditation

Eastern meditation teaches you to empty your mind. Christian meditation centers around filling our minds - especially with God's Word. Here are 7 things to meditate on:

• Meditate on the Word – Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Ps. 119:148 My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.
Ps. 119:97 Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

• Meditate on God Himself – Ps. 63:6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.

Ps. 145:5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works.

• Meditate on God’s Works, His creation – Ps. 77:12 I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds.

Ps. 119:27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.

Ps. 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.

• Meditate on God’s Thoughts and Wisdom – Ps. 119:15 I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, I attentively watch how you’ve done it. (Message)

Psa. 119:48 relishing every fragment of your counsel. (Message)

Is. 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

• Meditate on His Name – Mal. 3:16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.

• Meditate on Godly Character – Phil. 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

• Meditate on all the Things He Has Taught You –  1Tim. 4:15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.

My prayer to prepare the heart for Biblical meditation:

Fill my mind so I can think Your thoughts

Fill my eyes so I can see Your beauty

Fill my ears so I can hear Your voice

Fill my mouth so I can speak Your wonders

Fill my heart so I can know You more

Fill my hands so I can do what You do

Fill my feet so I can go where You go